This programme dedicated to Maurice Ravel, one of the great French orchestra composers, focuses on transcription—a decisive practice in the life of musical works.

As proven by his illustrious Bolero, Ravel was a master of combining timbres and continuously adapted for orchestra numerous scores initially written for piano. One such example is Alborada del gracioso, the fourth movement of Mirrors, whose lively vivacity delivered through bright and ironic sounds brings the jester of Spanish comedies to life. Filled with modal harmonies and delicate melisma, his Greek Folk Songs also migrate towards the orchestra, while The Child and the Magic Spells to a libretto by Colette showcases unusual timbres such as the whip, rattle, luthéal and wind instrument. 
An exceptional orchestrator, Ravel often created his own version of the music of others: his rightly famous version of  Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, composed for piano, articulates the Russian master’s idea so exquisitely as to sometimes surpass the original.